


Little Moments

by dayishujia



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, M/M, Missing Scene, Protect Keith, Romance, Spoilers, i recommend watching season 2 first, trying not to give spoilers in tags is hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-22
Updated: 2017-01-22
Packaged: 2018-09-19 03:04:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9415223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dayishujia/pseuds/dayishujia
Summary: After returning from the Marmora rebels' headquarters, Keith and Shiro have a talk.





	

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: SPOILERS FOR S2 E8

After the revelations of the Trails of Marmora at the rebels’ headquarters, Keith was left in a state of disbelief and pain. Of course, he was satisfied with finally having an answer, albeit one he hadn’t expected, but once the news was revealed to the rest of the paladins followed by Coran insisting on everyone sleep on it, the exhilaration faded into simple soreness.

Keith knew he should shower to sooth his muscles and clean out his wounds but he didn’t figure he had the energy to stand for any amount of time longer than it took to make his way to his room. He meandered slowly down the hallways, swaying a little on his feet and thinking on the day’s events.

He always wondered about his family but now that he had an answer, it only gave him new questions.

Keith was so far into his own thoughts that he didn’t notice Shiro standing there, leaning up against the wall next to Keith’s door until the other called out to him. “...Keith.”

Keith startled, eyes widening impossibly. He stopped, standing a little distance from Shiro. “Were... were you waiting for me?”

Shiro pushed himself off the wall, walking closer to Keith. Nodding, he said in a low voice, “I thought we should talk.”

 

 

Keith settled on his bed, freshly dressed in his favorite black t-shirt and track pants. Quietly, Shiro helped him bandage his shoulder then sat on the other side of the small room, facing Keith and watching him closely. Keith faltered under his stare, shrinking into himself. He was the only person who had that effect on him.

They sat in silence for a little while. Keith worked his shoulder where the Galra blade made contact during the Trial, while Shiro seemed comfortable to just sit in silence. Absently, Keith wondered what it was Shiro wanted to talk about – the possibilities were few and he didn’t like most of them. A nervous knot twisted his stomach.

“Shiro,” he said, resolving his nerve and speaking up before Shiro did. He just wanted it to be over, espeically if it was going to go as badly as he thought it might. The last thing he wanted to hear was how Shiro could no longer see him the same way, now that he knew the truth about him. It would kill him. So Keith was going to finish it himself, before Shiro could say the words.

Instead of looking at him, Keith focused his gaze on Shiro’s knees, as he nervously picked at his fingernails. “I understand if this changes things. Between us, I mean.”

Keith’s eyes darted up at Shiro’s face for the slightest of moments before turning his focus onto his hands. He was still picking at his nails and trying not to look upset.

Shiro frowned, his eyebrows knitting together. “What?” His voice was soft, laced with disbelief.

Keith glanced at Shiro’s face again before looking at literally anything else. “I mean... I’m _Galra_ ,” he attempted to explain. The phrase, although leaving an odd taste in his mouth, somehow felt comfortable to him. But sitting in front of Shiro, that comfort quickly mutated into guilt. “And the Galra.... they... _we_ – ”

“No,” Shiro interrupted sharply. He leaned forward, as if trying to convey his severity through posture alone. “No, not ‘ _we’_. This is what I wanted to talk to you about.”

Keith blinked stupidly. He looked at Shiro now, utterly bewildered.

“Keith, this doesn’t change anything,” Shiro said, carefully enunciating each word. He was still leaning forward, staring straight into Keith’s eyes.

“What? Of course it does,” Keith tried to argue but Shiro shot to his feet and crossed the room, coming to sit on the bed next to Keith. Keith flinched back – a move that only added to his growing guilt when he saw the hurt it caused to flitter in Shiro’s gentle eyes – and Shiro made sure to keep some space between them, keeping his posture as unthreatening as possible.

“No, it doesn’t,” Shiro repeated, just as sharply as the first time. Keith wanted to believe that, but it felt like it was all just so different now. “It’s like you said before, before they said anything about you being Galra. You said it didn’t matter, that you knew who you were. You haven’t changed. You’re still you, _you’re still Keith_.”

Keith frowned. He slumped his shoulders and tucked his hands into his lap. His gaze dropped toward the corner of the mattress as he muttered, “Allura doesn’t think so.”

“Allura will come around,” Shiro said easily, as if he already knew she would. Keith highly doubted it. Allura saw him differently now; Shiro would too soon. “She just needs some time, the wounds are still fresh.”

“And what about your wounds, Shiro?” Keith asked. He was talking before Shiro even finished his sentence, upset by the implication that Allura’s wounds could changed her opinion of him after learning of his heritage and Shiro’s wouldn’t. “The Galra... we tortured you, forced you to murder inmates... We _cut off_ your _arm_ , for God’s sake!”

“You did none of that,” Shiro said, voice rising to match Keith’s volume. Keith was rather surprised at his outburst, but fought to keep it out of his expression. “That wasn’t you,” Shiro jabbed a finger in his direction. “You were on Earth, studying, finding the Blue Lion, not on that ship.”

Keith practically deflated. Leftover embarrassment and shame caused by his expulsion reared its ugly head once more now that Shiro brought it up. “...I got kicked out of school,” Keith confessed, grumbling. 

“I know. That’s okay,” Shiro said just as quietly. “But you weren’t on that ship. _Those are not your sins_. You didn’t even know about your parents until a few hours ago.”

Keith huffed. He bristled a little, knowing Shiro was ultimately right but wanting to cling to it anyway. Just like the rest of them, he only knew of Earth. He grew up there; he had no connection to the Galra Empire or its people beyond genetics. That wouldn’t keep him from feeling guilty, however.

“That’s beside the point.”

Shiro ran his hand though his hair, pulling at the longer strands on top. “ _God_ , you’re so stubborn!”

Keith stuck his tongue out at him, a knee-jerk reaction from years past. Shiro was taken aback – surprise evident on his face – then laughed. “See?” he asked, shoving playfully at Keith’s knee. “You’re still the same Keith.”

Keith huffed. He folded his arms over his chest and looked at Shiro incredulously, carefully, as if searching for any hint of insincerity there. “And... You don’t mind?”

“Mind?”

“You know...” Keith gestured to himself, “the Galra thing.”

Shiro got up and carefully crossed the room, moving slow enough for Keith to stop him if he wanted to. He waited for him to say something but never did, just watched him sit down on his bed. He watched Keith a moment longer before answering, softly.

“No, I don’t mind.” He reached out slowly, placing his hand over Keiths’. When Keith didn’t move to extract his hands, Shiro took one in his and held it tight. “Like I said, this doesn’t change _anything_.”

Keith’s gaze focused now on their clasped hands in between them. Shiro shifted closer, drawing Keith’s attention again. Keith watched him as he inched ever closer, until their knees touched. Using his hold on Keith’s hand, Shiro drew him closer still.

Keith sighed like all the strength left him, slumping forward and resting his forehead on Shiro’s shoulder. His free hand touched Shiro’s Galra arm, lightly at first, fingertips tracing along the cool alien metal.

Shiro chuckled. “...You’re thinking too hard about this.” He moved just enough to be able to get a glimpse at Keith’s face. His eyes were lowered, if not closed completely, and there was a gentle, contemplative frown on his lips.

Keith huffed. “What else am I supposed to do?”

Shiro half shrugged, just a light raise of the shoulder Keith wasn’t leaning against and carded his free hand through Keith’s mussed up hair. Keith settled into him a bit more and Shiro couldn’t help but to smile.

“During that fight today...” Shiro said after a long stretch of comfortable silence. His fingers were still tangled in Keith’s hair, his other coming to rest along the small of his back. The only sign Keith was even still awake was the little noise he made when Shiro started to talk. Shiro questioned whether or not he wanted to bring it up, especially at that moment, but the need to reassure got the better of him. “They said the suit you wore accessed your deepest wishes and fears.”

Keith groaned. The soft, wounded noise made Shiro chuckle low in his throat. “You know,” he continued when Keith didn’t attempt to stop him. “I... don’t actually think any of that”

Keith made a face and hiding in Shiro’s chest. He was too tired to move and way too tired to figure out Shiro’s point. “What?”

“The things the hologram said today,” he further clarified. He spoke softly, soothing Keith even if he wasn’t paying attention to the words he was saying. “I don’t actually think that way.”

Keith shifted. He sniffed and brought a hand up to scrub at his face. “...I know.”

“Do you?” Shiro asked. He tried to look at Keith’s face again, but the smaller man refused to budge even a little from his position draped over him. Shiro gave up and sat still, resuming playing with Keith’s hair. “Keith, in case I don’t say it enough, you’re one of the bravest people I’ve ever met.”

“Shiro...” This time, Keith moved to pull away but Shiro held firm, keeping him where he was.

“No, I mean it,” Shiro said. Keith shifted once more and Shiro for a moment thought that he had made him comfortable, but then he noticed the pink tint the tips of his ears took and felt one of Keith’s hands clinging to his shirt. Shiro’s heart warmed.

“And... And I don’t...” Keith swallowed nervously. He burrowed a little further into Shiro’s chest, rendering his words almost incomprehensible. “Not... a _brother_.”

“I understand,” Shiro told him gently. He rubbed Keith’s back soothingly. “Come on, you must be tired. We can talk more later.”

When Shiro finally moved to pull away from him, Keith reached out and grabbed the front of his t-shirt, stopping him. “What’s wrong?” he asked but Keith didn’t answer, only glancing up at him before pressing his cheek to his shoulder. Any concerns he had of lingering pain from the Trails quickly vanished from his mind and Shiro smiled down at the top of Keith’s head.

“Okay,” he hummed. He ruffled Keith’s hair fondly, adoring the little noise Keith made in his throat. “Okay.”

With an arm snaked around Keith’s waist, Shiro pulled him completely into his lap and maneuvered carefully so that they were both lying on their sides on the bed. Keith shifted about until he was comfortable, snugging up into Shiro’s chest and a leg firmly in between his own.

 

Shiro wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he leaned in to kiss Keith’s hair. On any other occasion, Keith would have gotten so flustered by the display of affection, even in private, that he’d glare at him, wiping away the kiss as a deep pink blush crept up his neck. But this time, he didn’t budge.

“Keith?” Shiro whispered just loud enough that, if Keith was awake, he would have been able to hear him but not loud enough to wake him if he was sleeping. Just for added assurance that the other was sleeping, he asked, “Are you sleeping?”

This time, Keith moved a little, just enough to tuck his face into Shiro’s shoulder, just above where the alien prosthetic was attached. Shiro smiled and did it again, pressing another kiss to Keith’s head, longer this time. He tightened his embrace around Keith, savoring the quiet moment. He knew that tomorrow, this would fade into the background; they were paladins, after all. Warriors. Nothing was more important than the liberation of the universe from Zarkon’s regime, not even this.

Yet, it was little moments like this that kept Shiro fighting and he would continue to fight, putting this thing between them on the back burner, until the very end and the universe was free again.

Shiro was going to fight and fight viciously.

Until little moments like this were all that mattered.

**Author's Note:**

> I noticed a distinct lack of talking it out in the series, so I aimed to fix that
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> [prompt me here](lilmissginge.tumblr.com/ask)  
> [ find me on tumblr](lilmissginge.tumblr.com)


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